Who do you say you are?

 Matthew 16:13-15

Now when Jesus came into the district of Caesarea Philippi, he asked his disciples, “Who do people say that the Son of Man is?” And they said, “Some say John the Baptist, but others Elijah, and still others Jeremiah or one of the prophets.” He said to them, “But who do you say that I am?”

The masters tools will never dismantle the masters house. They may allow us temporarily to beat him at his own game, but they will never enable us to bring about genuine change. (Audre Lord: The Masters Tools Will Never Dismantle the Masters House)

Who do you say I am? asks Jesus

And, in our response to that question

lies the secret 

not just of our recognition

of the Son of God

but of our own identity

How we define the Messiah

belies how we define ourselves.

Are we prepared to embrace

Our power

Our vulnerability?

Are we prepared to voice

Our doubts 

and our certainty?

Are we prepared to be

the sassy

mouthy

provocative

beings

we were created to be?

Are we prepared to be too much for some

and not enough for others?

Are we prepared

to delight

and to disappoint?

Created in the image of God

who names us Beloved

and who calls us

to bring our whole selves

and nothing less

into the arena

The question: Who do you say I am?

demands that we answer

Who do you say you are?

And then step up

and step into

our change making role

holding space

for all our sisters

for the changing

and the healing 

of the world.

It matters!

Love - the LBD of God

Colossians 3:12-14 (The Message)

So, chosen by God for this new life of love, dress in the wardrobe God picked out for you: compassion, kindness, humility, quiet strength, discipline. Be even-tempered, content with second place, quick to forgive an offense. Forgive as quickly and completely as the Master forgave you. And regardless of what else you put on, wear love. It's your basic, all-purpose garment. Never be without it.

That little black dress

The all-purpose go-to

for day and night

The dress-up

Or dress-down

A basic

all-purpose garment

Who knew?

God has already

catered for

the spiritual equivalent 

A staple in the wardrobe

Alongside

Compassion

Kindness

Humility

Quiet strength

Discipline

Love is our go-to

Love enables us

to be content with second place

to quietly

subversively

bring our best selves

to the work of showing Christ

at work in the world

May we never be without it.

There's a woman in the pulpit

Every single day, ministry brings incredible challenges and opportunities. It embraces the sublime and the ridiculous. It is a vocation liberally peppered with poignancy, confidences and stories. Many of these stories deserve to be shared. "There's a woman in the pulpit" is a book full of such stories contributed by clergy women who are members of RevGalBlogPals, a supportive network for women serving, seeking or discerning a call to ministry. These are stories laced with sadness and joy, with honesty,,openness and a great deal of humour.
RevGalBlogPals started in 2005 as a handful of women clergy reached out to one another through their blogs offering prayerful and practical support. The community has grown exponentially as word spread and, as well as daily blog posts, the community now also supports a Facebook Group of almost 3000 members, where posts are moderated to ensure that a safe and supportive space is maintained, along with Twitter and Tumblr accounts. Honesty,humility and humour underpin much of the work undertaken as RevGals and pals support each other through life and ministry. Rev Martha Spong is the Director of RevGals and editor of the book. RevGalBlogPals demonstrates how virtual community can be real. There's a Woman in the Pulpit is testimony to that.